Growing Up
by HuntressMinerva
Summary: Danny Jr. becomes a pilot like his dad, and along the way he grows up. This is the sequel to "Watching". It is recommended you read that first.
1. Past

**Growing Up**

Chapter One - Past 

_Pearl Harbor, July 21, 1963_

Danny Walker, Jr., was at Pearl Harbor along with his trainee pilot friends, Tyler Winkle and Henry Gooz. Actually, Gooz wasn't really Henry's last name, but it had been his father's nickname amongst the old generation of pilots — Rafe, Red, and the like. _And my Daddy,_ thought Danny Jr. The name had sort of stuck to the unfortunate Henry. 

It was Danny Jr.'s twenty-first birthday, and Henry and Tyler were giving him a birthday bash at the Hula Cafe. They sat around the bar, drank champagne, and talked rambunctiously. "My Dad says I'm sure to be the best pilot ever!" bragged Tyler, with a wide grin on his face. 

Henry's eyes widened. "Oh yeah? Well, your dad don't know what he's talkin' about! 'Cause I'm going to be the best pilot!" he teased. 

Danny Jr. laughed. "Hey, you two, quit it. It's my birthday!" 

Tyler dug an elbow into Henry's ribs. "Why don't you ask him to quit it, Danny?" 

Henry downed his glass of champagne and set it down on the table. "Hey, Danny, let's go fly. Then I'll show this talkative fellow here what a good pilot oughta be." He smiled mischievously at both of them. 

Tyler got up. "I'm going. Danny, you coming?" 

Danny Jr. hesitated. "We aren't supposed to be doing this, are we?" 

Henry shrugged. "No," he said. "But when did that ever stop us three?" 

Danny Jr. grinned. "You're right," he agreed. "Let's go!" 

*** 

Rafe was now a comparatively old man of forty-six. He had followed in Doolittle's footsteps, having been promoted to Colonel recently and put in charge of the pilots at Pearl Harbor. Amongst them was Danny Jr. Rafe was proud of the boy. He was merely twenty — twenty-one today, he corrected himself — but he showed remarkable promise. Just like Danny, thought Rafe. Danny would have been so proud of him as well. His two incorrigible friends, Tyler and Henry, were also excellent pilots, just like Red and Gooz had been. 

He absently surveyed the grounds. All looked fine and well, until something caught his eye. 

Three planes were gone from the hangar. Rafe looked up, trying to find them in the air. Luckily it was a fine night, cloudless and moonlit. He searched in vain, and was about to give up when he saw a distant speck. He squinted. It was one of the planes. Close behind it were two more. 

_Those damned boys!_ thought Rafe, annoyed. It was well past grounding hours. Those pilots, whoever they were, were going to get it from him when they came down. He went outside, and stood with his arms crossed. He waited, at first watching the planes with some diffidence. Then he grew interested. One of the planes was doing an outside loop. It was a very good outside loop, Rafe thought. His anger lessened. 

The other two planes glided to a graceful halt as Rafe looked on from afar. The pilots got out of the planes. One of them had flaming red hair, and was of slight build. One was dark-haired, somewhat heavyset, and looked very sure of himself. Rafe shook his head, recognizing them instantly. They were Tyler Winkle and Henry Gooz. 

_Wait,_ Rafe realised suddenly. _If they were in these planes, that must mean..._He watched, half in horror and half in admiration, as Danny Jr. executed a near-perfect barrel roll before landing smoothly, then hopping out of his plane and high-fiving Tyler and Henry. He laughed to himself, feeling slightly exasperated. _That boy will be the death of me!_ Trying to look stern, he marched toward them and shouted. "Walker! Winkle! And Gooz! You three come see me immediately!" 

Tyler and Henry froze on seeing him, but Danny Jr.'s face merely lit up. "Uncle Rafe! I haven't seen you all day!" 

Rafe coughed. "Sir, Walker. Sir." 

Danny Jr. smiled a small smile, but he duly saluted. "Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir. I won't do it again." 

"M-m-me n-neither, sir," stammered Tyler. Rafe almost chuckled. He remembered so well how Red used to stutter when he was nervous. 

Henry nodded his head quickly. "I'm sorry too, sir. We'll - uh - " 

Danny Jr. picked it up. "We'll clean the hangar for a week, sir. And the parachute hangar as well." 

Rafe nodded solemnly. "Fine, boys, but I'm afraid I have to ground you as well. For that week. You do realise this is a fairly serious offence? Taking a plane out past grounding hours? And doing such stunts with it as well?" 

Tyler looked as if he was suppressing a groan, but he held it in. "Yes, sir!" they all chorused. 

"Is that all, sir?" asked Danny Jr. 

Rafe looked at Tyler and Henry with amusement. They looked as if they were itching to make an escape. "Winkle, Gooz, you two may be dismissed." 

Tyler and Henry saluted again, then ran off. Rafe could hear them laughing and talking. He turned to Danny Jr. "Danny, what the hell were you doin' up there at night! And those dangerous stunts!" Rafe rolled his eyes. "What am I gonna do with a boy like you, Danny?" he laughed. "Happy birthday. But don't do it again, please! You scared ten years off my life!" 

"I'm really sorry, Uncle Rafe. But it was so..." Danny Jr. seemed to glow with exhilaration. "So incredible!" 

Rafe smiled slightly. "Danny, I know how it feels." He grew serious. "And I know you're a good pilot. But don't ever do that again, it's dangerous, you hear me?" 

Danny Jr.'s smile disappeared. He knew Rafe wasn't kidding. "Okay, Uncle Rafe. I won't fly at night. But maybe doing some stunts from time to time would be okay?" 

Rafe looked grave, but Danny Jr. could see his eyes dancing. "Danny, I know even if I say no, you'd do it anyway." He laughed. "In case you're interested, I'd really prefer you not do stunts, but I know I can't stop you." 

His face lit up with the memories. "Doolittle couldn't stop me and your Daddy either." 

Danny Jr. grinned. 

Rafe clapped him on the back, and began walking back to the rooms with him. "Let's go, Danny. It's getting late." 

*** 

Danny Jr. sat up in bed by himself. He couldn't sleep. He was absorbed in memories of his youth. 

He remembered how, when he was young, his father had come to him in the form of a spirit. He had spent time with him, and played with him, for two years. Then he had left. Danny Jr. missed him, but he knew he was watching. He looked over at Tyler, who shared his room. Tyler was snoring gently. So as not to awaken him, Danny spoke softly. "Hey, Daddy," he whispered. "It's, um, my birthday today. I hope you remember. I hope you're here now. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you I still miss you. And I love you." 

For some reason, though his mom had always been Mother to him, he had never seemed to grow out of calling his dad Daddy. Probably because he still associated him with that time in his childhood. It had been the only time he had ever gotten to be with him, talk to him. He picked up the toy plane from his bedside table. It was the one his father had given him when he was five. He turned it round in his hands, and noticed a piece of paper had been pushed into the cockpit. Curiously, he pulled it out and unfolded it. 

_Hello Danny, _

How are you? Happy Birthday! I hope it's been a good one. I'm probably here right now, if you're reading this at night. Just a note to wish you all the best. Don't drive your Uncle Rafe mad like we used to do to our commanding officer. Good luck, and sweet dreams. 

With love, Daddy 

Danny Jr. smiled to himself. He folded the note up carefully, and put it back into the toy plane's cockpit. "Thanks Daddy," he murmured, before curling up on his bed. Uncle Rafe and Daddy used to do things like I do now? he thought wryly. No wonder Uncle Rafe had been more amused than angry when he caught them tonight. It was almost worth it, Danny Jr. thought, to be grounded for a week just to have glimpsed that remnant of the past. 

*** 

Danny watched as Danny Jr. read his note, and thanked him before falling back to sleep. _You're welcome, son,_ he thought silently. Tonight, for the first time, he had watched his son fly. He had never been able to before, because night was strictly grounding time. But today — just like he himself had done before, Danny thought — he had sneaked out a plane and flown it. 

_He can fly,_ thought Danny admiringly. The boy could really fly. Rafe had been about twenty-four before he had even attempted the outside loop, and Danny Jr. was only twenty-one. Danny was willing to admit that he was affected by fatherly pride, but he had thought, at that time, that his son's outside loop had been a beautiful one. 

He was so proud of him. Danny Jr. looked like he was on his way to being a greater pilot than he himself had ever been. He was the reincarnation of his dreams. "Sleep well, Danny," he murmured under his breath. Then he faded out. 

*** 

Author's Note: I hope you all liked it. As always, please review! And thank you for reading. There will be a couple more chapters to this. ~HuntressMinerva 


	2. War

**Growing Up**

Chapter Two - War 

_August 1964_

Danny Jr. was sitting on his bed, adjusting the controls on a radio. The reception was terrible. Amid constant noise and static in the background, Danny Jr. managed to catch the news broadcast, read by a dispassionate sounding newsreader who was droning out the latest developments of the Vietnam War in a monotone. 

"President Lyndon B. Johnson has just announced that two U.S. destroyers have been attacked in the Gulf of Tonkin, off the coast of North Vietnam. In an official statement, the President said that the attacks were unprovoked and probably deliberate, although the responsible parties are as yet unknown. Meanwhile, North Vietnam remains the dominant side in the Vietnam War. The Viet Cong now control about 70 percent of South Vietnam's population. However, the South Vietnamese government continues to resist takeover. This has been Pete Miller, for Radio Honolulu News at 7. Have a pleasant evening." 

Danny Jr. flicked off the radio, feeling sick. He marvelled at how Pete Miller could sound so detached. To him, the Vietnam War was a revival of America's war-torn days. It was war that had caused his father's death, he thought, feeling slightly angry. Part of him wanted to go out there, fight, make his father proud. The other part just never wanted to see a war at all. 

He slumped down on the bed. "It isn't like I have a choice, right?" he muttered to himself. 

Tyler walked into the room. "Hey Danny, something wrong?" he asked, with a concerned expression. 

Danny Jr. looked over at Tyler. There was a few years' age difference between them - Danny Jr. was older - but the difference sometimes seemed much greater. Tyler had such a youthful face, with wide, eager eyes and an earnest smile. He shook his head. "Nothing," he sighed. "Just listening to the radio." 

"Listening to the radio can get you this down?" Tyler asked incredulously. 

Danny Jr. forced a smile. "I'm fine, Ty. I'm perfectly fine." 

Tyler looked at him dubiously. "If you say so." 

"Well, I say so," Danny Jr. tried to assure him. 

"You were listening to the radio - you must have caught the news, right, Danny?" asked Tyler. He sounded excited. 

"I heard the news. So what? It's just more talk about the Vietnam War," said Danny Jr. nonchalantly. _No way am I going to let Ty see how freaked out I am by this,_ he thought to himself. 

"Listen, guess what!" Tyler said. "There's a rumour flyin' about that they're gonna order an air attack on North Vietnam. If that's true I'm definitely volunteering. So's Henry." He punched his fist into his hand. "We'll show the Viet Cong who's boss." 

Danny Jr. didn't say a word. His mind reeled. _An air attack?_ So it was coming true. He was going to be pulled into this war sooner or later. "Is it going to be mandatory?" he asked finally. 

Tyler shrugged. "Well, whether or not it is, I'm going for sure. If they let me." He looked slightly worried. "You will be going too, right?" 

"I suppose so, Ty," said Danny Jr. in a forced voice. He got up and walked to the door. "I'm going out for a walk." 

"Want me to come along?" Tyler offered. "We can phone Henry." 

"Thanks, Tyler, but no," Danny Jr. replied. 

Tyler didn't look satisfied, but he let it go. "Come back soon, okay?" 

Danny Jr. nodded, and went out before Tyler could change his mind. The fresh night air was welcoming and gentle. Although summer would fade into autumn before long, the nights still felt pleasantly warm. He jammed his hands into his pockets and walked down the street, eyes on the floor, oblivious to the other people around him. 

_Should I volunteer?_ he wondered. _That's practically going out and making myself a target for trouble. Then again, this is war. And I want to make Daddy proud of me. I don't want him to think I'm some kinda wimp._ He looked up instinctively, as if hoping to see his father appear before him. But there was nobody. 

"Dammit, Walker, get a grip," he said to himself, under his breath, even laughing a little. "You owe it to Daddy to fight. You owe it to Uncle Rafe. You're going wherever they tell you to, and you do whatever they tell you to." 

He felt a little more settled, but also a little more...disturbed. He'd made a decision. He just hoped it was the right one. 

*** 

Rafe sat in his office, reading a telegram that had just come from Washington. His face was worried. 

There was a knock at his door. He looked up. "Come in." 

The door opened, and Danny Jr. entered. "Hi, Uncle Rafe," he said softly. 

"Danny! You're just the person I needed," Rafe said. "Go find all the pilots in your division and get them to Hangar Two immediately for a briefing. Attendance is mandatory." 

"Is this an order, Uncle R — uh, sir?" Danny Jr. asked. 

"Yes, Walker, this is an order." 

Danny Jr. saluted and ran out the door. 

Rafe sighed. He hated it that he had to send Danny Jr. to do an errand boy's work, especially when he'd obviously come in with something important to discuss. But the message from Washington was absolutely clear. 

_PREPARE AIR FORCE FOR ATTACK ON NORTH VIETNAM IN SEPT STOP REPLY IMMEDIATELY STOP_

It had come from the White House. Rafe didn't like the sound of this, but orders from the President were not orders he could ignore. 

*** 

There was excited chattering amongst the pilots gathered in Hangar Two. They were milling around waiting for Colonel McCawley to arrive. 

"What d'you think McCawley wants us for?" Henry asked Danny Jr. 

Danny Jr. shrugged. "How should I know?" 

"Shucks, you were the one who passed us the message. And you're practically his son," said Tyler. "If you ask me, it's about North Vietnam. About time too." 

Henry nodded in agreement. "You're probably right, Ty. It is high time they did somethin' about those damn North Vietnamese." 

They were interrupted by the sudden silence that heralded Rafe's approach. All the pilots immediately got to their feet and lined up in a row. They saluted. "Good afternoon, sir!" 

Rafe looked at them all. Danny Jr. tried to figure out his expression, but it was unreadable. "Gentlemen, I have just received a telegram from Washington." He held up a small piece of paper. "It contains orders for me to organize an air raid on North Vietnam." 

On Rafe's words, the excited talking erupted again. 

"Silence!" said Rafe. "I would like all of you to participate in this attack and gain some experience. However, the choice is entirely up to you. Those who volunteer will spend the next few weeks in intense combat training before we leave. We must attack in a month's time." He paused, letting his words sink in. "Who is brave enough to volunteer?" 

And, in an instant that brought a sudden flashback of 1942 to Rafe's mind, the entire row of pilots stepped forward. 

*** 

_September 1942_

It was late at night. Danny Jr. was out walking on his own again, this time at the beach. 

They would be leaving for Vietnam the next day. Danny Jr. was both excited and apprehensive. _What will happen?_ he kept wondering. _What if I foul up? What if I die...like Daddy did? But it'll be worth it,_ he decided, _just to have had this chance of proving myself._

He looked around him. There was nobody, so he spoke aloud. "Daddy, if you're here, I really need to talk to you. You don't have to talk back, so just listen. We're going tomorrow." He paused, collecting his thoughts. "I've never done anything like this before. I'm not scared, but I'm...I mean, I don't know what I'll find." 

He kicked some sand into the water and looked out to the horizon. "Just wish me luck, okay, Daddy?" 

Danny Jr. could almost feel an imperceptible nod from his father. He smiled. He felt much better now. 

*** 

Author's Note: 

I know things seem to be moving a little slowly — I'm trying to really flesh out how Danny Jr. matures. Special thanks must go out to Bobby Laurent who suggested that Danny Jr. get drafted to fight in Vietnam. I really would never have thought of it myself since I never studied the Vietnam War in school. For those who don't know about it (like me before I did some research), the war was fought between Communist North Vietnam and South Vietnam whom the U.S. supported. The Viet Cong were the communist rebels from the south. I hope you liked it, and that it doesn't seem boring. Please review - thank you! In the next chapter: Danny Jr.'s experiences in Vietnam and post-Vietnam. ~HuntressMinerva 


	3. Vietnam

**Growing Up**

Chapter Three - Vietnam 

Danny Jr. sat nervously in his plane. He gripped the joystick hard, trying to ignore his sweaty palms. Henry, next to him, was saying a prayer with eyes squeezed shut. 

"Nervous, Danny?" 

Danny Jr. turned to his window and saw Rafe smiling confidently at him from his plane. "No, Uncle Rafe...well, actually, yeah," he said. 

"Don't worry, Danny, you'll be fine. You're a good pilot. Just take care, okay?" He paused. "Besides, I hear that all the other bombing operations have been successful so far." 

Rafe didn't know it, but these words made Danny Jr. even more frightened. _What if I'm the first one to mess up?_ he thought suddenly. _What if I crash and ruin everything? What if..._

He was jolted out of his thoughts by a shout from below. "Get ready, number one!" 

Number one was Rafe's plane. Danny Jr. watched as Rafe gave him a thumbs up and revved up the engine of his plane. He zoomed down the runway and before long, he had become a mere speck in the distance. Danny Jr. swallowed. He and Henry had drawn number two. 

Henry stared straight ahead, for once having difficulty speaking. "This is it, Danny," he said softly. "This could make or break us as pilots." 

Danny Jr. tried to ignore Henry's last comment, and started up his plane. A peculiar sensation came over him. _It's like deja vu,_ he realised. Almost automatically, his mind clicked and his reflexes kicked in. He carefully steered the plane down the runway just as Rafe had done. _Don't panic, Walker, don't panic._

Henry was taking deep breaths. "Okay, Danny, max power now!" he yelled over the roar of the engine. 

Danny Jr. didn't need Henry to tell him that. They'd practised this so many times before, it was almost like being on autopilot. Breathing a little easier now that he was actually on his way, he powered up the engine. 

The next few seconds passed in a dazed blur of noise and smoke. Danny Jr. kept his hand glued to the joystick and his eyes to the runway. "We're almost there, Henry!" 

Henry screamed back. "Quit talking and get MOVIN', Danny!" 

Danny Jr. almost smiled, but he was too keyed up for that. _Just a bit more...we're almost at the line..._And with that thought running through his head, their plane rose off the ground. He let out a breath. He'd taken off in planes any number of times before, but that was without all this pressure and the knowledge of what lay before him. 

Beside him, Henry let out a whoop. "We did it, Danny!" 

Danny Jr. allowed himself a small smile. "That was the easy part, Henry." 

*** 

They were over North Vietnam. 

Rafe's voice crackled through Danny Jr.'s headphones. "Ready, men?" 

"Ready!" they chorused. 

"Bombs away!" came Rafe's reply. 

"One away!" 

Danny Jr. took a deep breath. He hit the button. "Here goes nothing," he said to Henry. 

"Two away!" he shouted. Henry was looking out the window. 

"YES!" he screamed. He turned back and clapped Danny Jr. hard on the back. "We did it! We bombed 'em!" 

"We?" said Danny Jr., looking at Henry with a mock-irritated smile. But Henry's wide grin was contagious, and Danny Jr. couldn't help grinning back as well. _I did it! I really did it!_ "Well, Henry, it actually worked," he said. 

"It worked damn well, Danny!" cried Henry. 

Danny Jr. was so overwhelmed with joy he was practically oblivious to the voices that came in through his headphones, until he heard Rafe's slightly annoyed, but laughing voice. "Men, are you there? Answer me, please, before I have to repeat this for the fifth time!" 

"Number two here, sir," Danny Jr. replied. Gradually, the other planes trickled in with their responses. 

"Good job, men," said Rafe, switching to his crisp businesslike tone. "Head immediately for South Vietnam. We might get shot at, so watch your back. Over and out." 

Danny Jr. started to sweat again. "They say this is the hardest part, Henry," he said. "The getaway." 

Henry kept his gaze ahead of him, looking at Rafe's plane, which was leading the pack. "We'll be fine, Danny, we just have to..." 

His words were cut off by a sudden noise from behind. It sounded suspiciously like... 

"Dammit, they're shooting at us!" Henry screamed. "Tony's been hit!" 

Danny Jr. felt himself getting paralyzed in fear. "Calm down, Walker," he murmured. "Get your tail outta here before you panic." He kept his hand on the joystick, and tried to concentrate on moving faster. 

He heard Rafe say something again. "Men, hold out, don't panic, go FASTER! We're almost there!" 

Danny Jr. could tell that Rafe was trying to stay collected, but he could detect the hysteria in his voice. 

Henry suddenly gripped his arm. Danny Jr. was pulled out of position, and the plane swerved wildly. "Oh God, Danny, one's on our tail!" 

"Let go of me, Henry!" Danny Jr. screamed. "I can't fly with your nails in my flesh!" 

Henry let go immediately. Danny Jr. tried to regain control. The plane was hanging sideways. Instinctively, he pulled sharply at the joystick. 

The plane did a barrel roll and righted itself. Danny Jr. relaxed. Next to him, he felt Henry do the same. _Thank God I sneaked out the other night to practise this,_ he thought. 

"That was close, Danny," said Henry. 

"We'll be okay, I think I see the air base...but it's so dark..." 

Danny Jr. was about to squint for a closer look when suddenly the plane gave a tremendous rumble. Henry glanced out of the window. "We've been hit! We've been hit!" 

"You don't have to tell me that, Henry, I can feel it for myself!" Danny Jr. shouted back. "How badly?" 

"I don't know..." Henry angled himself for a better look. Just then, there came a new barrage of bullets. The plane jerked a few times, and started plunging madly downwards. 

Henry abandoned all pretense of calm. He gripped Danny Jr. twice as hard. "Danny, we're gonna die!" 

Danny Jr. was frozen in shock. _No,_ he thought wildly. _No, this can't be it. I'm too young to die..._

His plane crashed. 

*** 

Danny had been milling about anxiously at the South Vietnam air base, waiting for Danny Jr. and Rafe to land safely. _This had better turn out well,_ he thought, crossing his fingers. _They've got so much ahead of them. Especially Danny._

Just then, there came a loud crashing sound from somewhere in the distance. Danny looked up. He couldn't believe his eyes. There was a blazing fire where the noise had come from, and he could see parts of a wrecked plane sticking out from the flames. 

He also felt the unmistakeable presence of Danny Jr. pulling him towards the crash site. Before he could freeze in shock, he phased out and reappeared immediately next to the burning plane. His eyes widened, and he could feel panic overtaking him. "Danny!" he shouted, as loudly as he dared. He was, after all, a ghost. 

Danny could see Henry lying unconscious on the grass. He went over to him and looked him over. He was bruised, burned and bleeding slightly, but Danny could see he'd be alright. Not giving him a second thought, he looked around for Danny Jr. 

He was lying next to the cockpit of the plane, not moving, and there was shrapnel embedded in his neck and chest. Danny suddenly suffered a flashback of his death, but he forcibly banished the memories from his mind. _This is not the time for recalling things,_ he thought fiercely. He leaned over and eased all the shrapnel out quickly. "There," he said. "You'll be okay now." 

Danny Jr.'s eyelids fluttered open. "Daddy?" he asked weakly. 

Danny nodded. "Shhh," he whispered. He picked Danny Jr. up and carried him away from the flames, then did the same for Henry. Danny Jr. looked at him with gratitude in his eyes. "You saved us," he murmured. "Thanks, Daddy. I love you." 

Danny was checking Danny Jr. for other injuries. Apart from burns and more cuts, there was nothing more. He heaved a relieved sigh. _If this was the reason for my death,_ he realised suddenly, _it was worth it._ Certainly Danny Jr. would have been in mortal danger had he not been there. "I love you too, Danny," he said, then quickly hugged him. "Take care." 

He was about to phase out when he heard a gasp from behind him. He spun around. 

Standing there, with a look of disbelief and shock on his face, was Rafe. He stretched out a hand. "Danny?" he said finally. 

Danny smiled. "He's fine, Rafe. You take care too. I gotta go." 

Then he left, leaving Rafe looking sadly at the spot where his best friend's ghost had stood. 

*** 

Author's Note: 

I know I promised to write about Danny Jr. post-Vietnam in this chapter, and I didn't, and I'm really sorry about it. Danny Jr.'s Vietnam experience turned out to be lengthier than I imagined. I promise I will make up for lost content in the next chapter (or two). Once again, heartfelt thanks to Bobby Laurent for the idea. Meanwhile, please forgive any airplane and historical inaccuracies. Thank you for reading, and remember to review! ~HuntressMinerva 


	4. Return

**Growing Up**

Chapter Four - Return 

Evelyn stood anxiously at the air base in Oahu, peering out into the distance. It felt exactly like that one afternoon in 1942, when she and Rafe had been younger, more hotheaded. Danny Jr. hadn't even been born, and Danny...she felt slightly choked up with the memories...had just died, although she hadn't known it then. Trying to concentrate on the present, she adjusted her wide-brimmed hat and waited, somewhat worried, for Rafe and Danny Jr.'s return from Vietnam. 

Just then she heard excited chattering start around her. She squinted against the bright sunlight, and just managed to make it out...the silhouette of a plane, growing larger by the second. _That's them. It has to be. Please, God, let them be alive,_ she said in silent prayer. 

The plane landed. In what seemed to Evelyn like an interminable eternity, the door eased open and the stairs descended ont the tarmac. She was holding her breath now. The first figure stepped out of the shadows and into the doorway. 

It was Rafe. 

Evelyn felt tears run down her face in joy. She detached herself from the crowd and ran towards Rafe, who was going down the stairs with his arms wide open, smiling. He took her into his embrace, and they stood wordlessly by the steps, for a few moments in which Evelyn felt that they were the only people in the world. Then she looked up at Rafe. "Danny...?" she left it hanging. 

Rafe nodded. He turned his head back to where the stairs were, and gestured. Coming down them was Danny Jr., followed closely by Henry and Tyler. 

Evelyn was shocked by the difference in him. He looked thinner, paler, and she could see some bandages on him, indicating he'd been in an accident. But in his youthful face she noticed new determination, and there was strength reflected in his eyes. There was also something more confident about the steady grin he was wearing as he ran towards her and Rafe. 

"Hi, Mother!" he said, hugging her, then giving her a small peck on the cheek. 

Evelyn held him at arm's length. "What happened to you?" she asked. 

Danny Jr. looked at his bandages. "You mean these?" 

Evelyn nodded. 

Danny Jr. merely smiled. "I grew stronger." 

*** 

It was evening, just about sunset. 

Rafe had been granted the day off in celebration of his accomplishment, and was spending it with Evelyn at the beach. Danny Jr., who hadn't wanted to intrude on them, had gone to the Hula Cafe with some of his pilot friends. 

Evelyn was leaning against Rafe, wrapped in his arms. They were watching the sunset. No one had said a word for some time. The very presence of each other was enough for both of them. 

Evelyn suddenly spoke. "Rafe?" 

"Yes?" 

"How _did_ Danny get those injuries of his?" she asked, somewhat curious. 

Rafe hesitated. He was obviously having trouble putting this into words. "His...his plane got shot. It went down, and it...e-exploded." 

Evelyn's eyes grew wide. She looked at Rafe in horror. "Oh God. No." 

She knew they were both thinking of the same thing. Danny. 

Rafe stroked her hair gently, trying to calm her. "Yes, Evelyn." He paused, and continued softly. "Danny would've been dead if someone hadn't come to his aid." 

Evelyn's voice was shaky. "Wh...who?" 

Rafe tore his gaze from her and looked out into the sky. It was a typical Pearl Harbor sunset, orange-hued with delicate touches of pink, but it never ceased to overwhelm him with its beauty. "His father," he said finally. 

Evelyn started. "Danny?" she whispered. 

Rafe nodded. 

Evelyn fell back into silence. She too looked out at the glorious sunset, tears glistening in her eyes, and a smile of gratitude on her face. 

*** 

Danny Jr. sat alone in his room. Tyler wasn't back yet. Danny Jr. guessed he was probably still out with his parents. 

"Well, so much the better," he said aloud. He needed to be alone with his thoughts. The party at the Hula Cafe was still going strong, but Danny Jr. hadn't felt like being part of it. After the feeling of jubilation had passed, he had settled back into the contemplative mood he hadn't felt since he was young. 

Danny Jr. couldn't believe that Vietnam, for him, was over. He could hardly believe it had even happened, the whole operation had been done so quickly. He stretched himself out on his bed and stared at the dull white ceiling. _Did it really happen? Did I actually go and bomb North Vietnam? Did I actually...crash?_

He looked at his bandages again. Well, he could answer the last one, at least. But that still left a lot of emotions bottled up inside him. Danny Jr. shook his head a few times, trying to sort out all the floating thoughts. 

He sat up suddenly, and looked around for a piece of paper and a pen. Danny Jr. had always been good with words, having, as Evelyn said, inherited the gift from his father. He smiled a little, thinking back to when he had first shown his mother his medical file. He hadn't been counting on her reaction...she'd looked shocked, then confused, then finally happy. "Your scores are almost the same as your father's had been," she'd said softly, gesturing at the 99 in verbal skills and 80s in other subjects. 

Still, he had never bothered to write anything much, except for letters to his mother. A pilot like him didn't have much spare time, what with flying, training, and socializing. But he was alone now, and needed a release for his thoughts. He paused for a while, then set his pen to the paper, using his chest of drawers as a writing surface. His wrote in neat flowing cursive, just like his father had. 

_Hi Daddy, _

I hope you'll read this. I don't know if you're here now, so I'm writing you a note. Thank you for saving me back in Vietnam. You've rescued more than my body, you've rescued my dreams and my hopes. Every time I feel the pain of my wounds, I think of how much worse it could have been, and I think of you. Thanks to you, Daddy, I've got a chance to live again and I'm going to do my best. I won't let you down. I love you. Your son, Danny. 

He set the paper facedown, then after some thought pulled out his old toy plane and put it down on top of the paper. If that wasn't going to draw his father's attention, he didn't know what would. Satisfied, he lay down and slept. 

*** 

Danny slipped noiselessly into his son's room. He was already asleep, and so was Tyler. It was about four in the morning, and all was quiet around Pearl Harbor. 

Danny Jr. seemed to be healing nicely, he thought as he neared the bed. There were less bandages on him than the last time he'd seen him, back in the Vietnam hospital. Then something on the bedside chest of drawers caught his eye. 

It was his own toy plane. The one he'd given Danny Jr. when he was a young boy of five. There was a piece of paper underneath it. Danny Jr. had obviously meant for him to read it. The toy plane called out to him as clearly as his name would have. He picked it up, flipped it over, and skimmed through it once. Then he read it again, more slowly. 

_...you've rescued my dreams and my hopes..._

Danny felt close to tears. His death had caused his son to be able to live and grow stronger, and that in itself was worth all the pain he had suffered. 

He blinked roughly, and grabbed up the pen next to the plane. He scrawled a few words in reply. 

_I love you too,_ was all he wrote. It was sufficient. 

*** 

Author's Note: This might or might not be the last chapter. It depends on whether I get further inspiration. Please review, and thank you for reading! ~HuntressMinerva 


	5. Choices

**Growing Up**

Chapter Five - Choices 

_December 1965_

It was winter once again, but Danny Jr. could hardly feel the cool nip in the air as he walked down the Arizona Memorial. After coming back from a brief training stint in Washington D.C., anywhere seemed warmer. Hawaii especially. It had been over a year since his squadron's first successful bombing of North Vietnam, but the war was still going on. South Vietnam was practically overrun with U.S. Marines, and he had been on a few other bombing missions. 

Danny Jr. wished he could say that it got easier every time, but if anything, he thought, it got even more difficult. The end of this war was nowhere in sight, and countless Americans were giving up their lives for a private feud between North and South Vietnam. His first bombing had felt triumphant, but after that they had become more and more painful each time, and nothing seemed changed. 

Something Rafe had once told him was ringing in his ears. "Danny, when it comes to war, just be anxious to matter." 

_Well, are all these bombings mattering at all?_ he couldn't help thinking. 

He looked reverently at the names engraved on the wall. "Those were the people who mattered," he said softly to himself. They were the people who had sacrificed themselves for something. For the dawn of America's greatest glory. 

As far as Danny Jr. could see, the Vietnam War was getting to be a long, protracted, and pointless siege. _It isn't even our business to interfere in the first place,_ he thought angrily. He looked once more at the names, and bowed his head in respect. He turned and walked away. As he did so, he bumped into someone. 

"Oh, I'm sorry..." said a female voice, then as he looked up the voice paused for a moment. "Danny? Is that you?" 

Danny Jr. blinked.The figure who stood before him now looked very familiar. She had dark brown hair that fell down her shoulders in waves, twinkling eyes, and somewhat uneven teeth that showed when she smiled. There was something about that infectious grin she was wearing, that evoked memories from his childhood. _That girl...the one I used to play with when the grown-ups were talking..._

"Stephanie!" he cried. "What are you doing here?" 

"So it is you, Danny! I thought you'd vanished!" she said, giving him a light punch on the shoulder. 

Danny Jr. laughed and returned the punch. He remembered very well those days when his mother's friend Sandra would visit with them often, when she lived in Tennessee with her husband before moving to Minnesota. While the grown ups talked, Danny Jr. and Stephanie found their own amusement in playing with their toy planes. She used to bop him on the head with them because he wouldn't wait for her to catch up when they ran, he recalled. 

"You been here all these years?" Stephanie asked. 

Danny Jr. nodded. "I'm a pilot. You? What have you been doin'?" 

Stephanie wrinkled her nose in that irritated way Danny Jr. recognized. "Mom and Dad wouldn't let me be a pilot, so I'm a nurse. Just got posted here from Minnesota." 

"Wanna go and grab some supper?" Danny Jr. offered. "We've got lots to catch up on. My treat." 

"You said it, Danny!" she laughed roguishly. 

*** 

"...so this guy comes in and tries to get fresh with me," Stephanie said as she stirred her soda. 

"Bad news for the guy," Danny Jr. murmured. 

"And how!" she smiled impishly. "He was sort of collapsing over me, and going, 'Ooh, Miss, I feel so weak, I can't walk no more...' And I tossed him on the chair and looked him over, and all he was having was 'flu!" Her eyes widened expressively. "Can you believe his nerve?" 

"This is getting interesting," said Danny Jr. 

"Well, I didn't want to let him get away easy, so I looked really solemn...like this..." she arranged her features into a mask of professional concern, mouth turning down slightly at the corners. "Then I said, 'Mister, you're suffering from bronchitis. I'm afraid it's almost terminal.'" 

Danny Jr. smiled to himself. This was exactly like the tough-cookie childhood playmate he used to know. "You haven't changed at all, Steph," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. 

"You bet," she said. "Anyway, listen. So he looks really shocked, and he grips my arm and goes, "Miss, you're kidding me.' So I say, no, it's true. And I mix him a huge bottle of some really nasty tasting stuff — tomato juice and chilli sauce, and the like — and I tell him, if he wants to recover, he has to take two teaspoons of this every day until the whole course of medication is complete." She spread her hands wide apart. "The bottle was this big!" 

"He believed you?" Danny Jr. asked incredulously. 

Stephanie shrugged. "I never saw him come back to me after that incident," she said. "How I miss him." She draped a hand over her forehead theatrically. 

Danny Jr. laughed. "You're impossible!" 

"He shouldn't have tried to mess with Stephanie Grace McMillan in the first place," she said, laughing along. 

*** 

Danny Jr. lay awake in his room. The lights were out and dark had settled long ago. Tyler had fallen asleep, but Danny Jr., as hard as he tried, couldn't. 

He kept thinking about his chance meeting with Stephanie. When he wasn't thinking about her, he had the Vietnam War chewing on his mind. 

It had been so nice to be able to spend some time with an old friend again, he thought. Especially Stephanie, whom he hadn't seen since her family moved away when he was eight. And she hadn't changed at all. He'd kind of forgotten her after she left, but only seeing her had made Danny Jr. realise how much he'd missed her company. 

As wonderful as supper with Stephanie had been, the Vietnam War still bothered him whenever he let his thoughts drift a little. He was growing increasingly fed up with America's involvement, and he knew before long new orders would surely come in for him to go on another air raid. _When will this ever end?_ he wondered. 

Suddenly a stray thought floated to him. _You could resign, Walker. Bail out of this mess._

He shook his head fiercely, as if trying to force the thought away. "No," he whispered softly to himself. "That's the coward's way out." 

Still, the idea nagged at him. 

*** 

Danny watched as Danny Jr. walked down the beach again. He smiled fondly at his son. If he hadn't been a pilot, he thought, he could have been a surfer. He seemed to have inherited his parents' love for beaches. 

He looked like there was something bothering him. Danny wasn't sure through the darkness, but he seemed to be muttering to himself, and absently kicking stones out of his way. _It looks serious,_ he thought. _Seeing Stephanie again ought to have perked him up. Why's he still like this?_

Perhaps it was time for a real father-son talk. They hadn't had one in too long. Before he could have any second thoughts, Danny slipped into visibility and walked over to his son. Danny Jr. was so preoccupied that he didn't notice Danny until he was practically on top of him. On seeing his father, his face lit up and he smiled slightly. "Hi Daddy!" he said, sounding somewhat glad. _That's an improvement, at least,_ Danny thought. 

"What's up, Danny?" he asked, giving his son a light clap on the shoulder. "I can see there's something on your mind." 

Danny Jr. looked at his father with troubled eyes. "The Vietnam War," he said simply. 

"What about it?" asked Danny, confused. "You seem to be doing great." 

Danny Jr. brushed some sand off a rock and sat down. "Yeah, but America isn't." 

Danny seated himself next to his son. "What d'you mean?" 

Danny Jr. shrugged. "I don't know, but it seems we aren't going anywhere with this war, and we keep bombing them but nothing ever happens. I just feel like wanting out sometimes. Get away from it all." 

Danny thought for a while. "When we went on the Doolittle Raid, we hardly devastated them," he said. "But it was...right through their hearts." He recalled Doolittle's words, with some bitterness, but mostly pride. 

Danny Jr. looked at him, frowning. "But at least you had a reason. I mean, that was getting them back for Pearl Harbor. That I understand. But we're just sticking our noses into this Vietnam business. I mean, if trouble wants me, I'm ready — but why go lookin' for it?" 

Danny's eyes widened. Those were almost the exact same words he'd said to Rafe, back in happier days. He could certainly see how it applied to America and Vietnam, but he could also see what Danny Jr. couldn't — that America would come out of this war learning something, even if she failed. _Because anything that doesn't break you just makes you stronger,_ he thought. 

"This is war, Danny," he began. "I used to think that there were no winners and no losers, just guys who turn into broken down wrecks — " He paused, swallowing. _Like my father._ But he couldn't say that. It hurt too much. He tried to continue. "But I was wrong. We'll all be winners at the end of the day." 

Danny Jr. looked questioningly at him. 

He sighed. "Fly on, and you'll grow much more than you will by just sitting at home. The war's gotta end some time. And we'll learn something from it." 

*** 

Author's Note: I never expected this to be the longest of all my fics, but it looks that way now. I hope it isn't getting cheesy or corny. Thanks once more to Bobby Laurent for the father-son talk suggestion. I was considering it anyway, but your mentioning it helped it along. Next chapter: you'll see Stephanie again (I kinda like her), plus the war finally ends. It should be the last chapter. Thanks for reading, and as always remember to review. ~HuntressMinerva 


	6. Orders

**Growing Up**

Chapter Six - Orders 

Danny Jr. was awoken by the sunlight streaming in through his window shutters. He lay in bed for a while, eyes open, gazing outside. It didn't seem like winter, although in other parts of America it was snowing fiercely. Hawaii in December was unusually cool, but that just made the refreshing sea breeze and the gentle sun more enjoyable than ever. 

Danny Jr.'s mind drifted back to his meeting with his father the night before. He wished he could have talked longer, spent more time just being with him...but his father had already done more than enough for him by even showing himself. He would be staying on with the Air Force, he'd decided. Flying was his life. It had always been his dream to one day make his father proud of him. _This war is merely temporary,_ he reminded himself as he got out of bed and dressed. _It isn't worth abandoning my hopes for._

Tyler, always a late sleeper, was still snoring loudly in his bed. Danny Jr. was used to it by now, though he had rather annoyed Tyler the first few Sundays when he had disturbed his sleep trying to leave the room. Quietly, he pulled on a windbreaker, tiptoed out of the room, and shut the door. 

Danny Jr. made his way to the airplane hangars. On lazy Sunday mornings like these he preferred to be tinkering about with the planes and maybe take one out for a spin. Danny Jr. reckoned that other than being on the beach, there was nothing much more relaxing than feeling right at home amongst the assortment of planes, covered in oil and grease, with his trusty toolbox by his side. 

He was almost approaching the hangar where he normally worked, when was accosted by a breathless pilot who had obviously been running very fast. "You Danny Walker?" he asked between gasps. 

Danny Jr. nodded, mystified. "Yeah, I am. What d'you want?" 

The pilot held out an envelope. "From a nurse. She said to get this to you, or she'd knock out my two front teeth." He shuddered. "She sure was pretty, but weird. She had brown hair, long and wavy, and — " 

Danny Jr. cut him off. "Save your breath. I know who she is." 

He took the envelope, and headed for the quiet of the hangar, where he could read in peace. He sat himself down, leaning against the wall, and skimmed through the note. 

_Hi Danny! _

Well I just know you gotta be having a better day than me. It's so boring here in the hospital. Being a nurse isn't bad really. I never really learnt to fly as well as you, so I don't think I'd have lasted long as a pilot. But today the hospital's all empty and the other girls are gossiping about boys and I'm bored STIFF because YOU happen to be the only boy I know around here! 

Anyway just wanted to tell you I really enjoyed supper last night. Catching up on old times was great, but seeing my old friend again was greater. Dinner today? Same place? 7 pm — see ya. 

Steph 

Danny Jr. smiled as he read Stephanie's unpretentious letter. _That's Steph for you,_ he thought. He'd never met another girl who was as spunky and spirited as she was, but that just made her all the more special. 

Humming happily now, he put the letter away carefully and set to work. 

*** 

Rafe anxiously paced the floor of his office. He'd just received new orders from Washington, and he didn't like them one bit. When there were orders at all, they normally pertained to the Vietnam War, and that was bad enough. But this... 

Danny Jr. opened the door and came in. "You wanted to see me, sir?" 

Rafe waved at him to sit down. "Drop the sir, Danny. This just came in from Washington." He slapped a small white piece of paper down on the table. Danny Jr. leaned over so he could read it. 

_SELECT ONE PILOT IN SQUADRON TO LEAD NEXT RAID IN JAN STOP ACT AS INSTRUCTOR STOP DO NOT GO STOP REPLY IMMEDIATELY STOP _

Rafe sat down and faced Danny Jr. with his hands clasped. "They say it's for training you young folks, but that's bullshit. They think at forty-eight I'm too damn old to go on any more bombings." 

"You want to go, Uncle Rafe?" Danny Jr. asked. 

Rafe shrugged. "That's not important. But yes, I want to go, if it's only for keepin' an eye on you boys." He smiled. 

Danny Jr. smiled too. "So you're going? Great." 

Rafe shook his head. He got up and walked to face his window. "I can't go. I can't defy orders from Washington. Anyway, I'll be leaving the squadron in the hands of a pilot who's every bit as good as me." 

Danny Jr. looked disbelieving. "You don't mean..." 

Rafe turned back and looked squarely at him. "Yes, Danny, you. I'm sure you'll do a great job. If you weren't so young you'd be a flight instructor." 

Danny Jr. was silent for a while. "You really think I can do it?" he asked softly. 

Rafe nodded firmly. "I know you can." 

*** 

Stephanie sat expectantly at the quaint little cafe they had had supper at last night. When the other nurses had learnt that she was having dinner with Danny Jr., they had tried, unsuccessfully, to make her dress up for the occasion. She smiled, recalling the exact words of one of them. 

"Steph, it's Danny Walker you're having dinner with! Not any old pilot, but Danny, the most eligible bachelor in the Air Force! At least put on your good dress! And remember not to show your teeth when you smile!" 

She'd adamantly refused, however, to listen. All the joy of seeing Danny Jr. would be gone if she had to be any different from her normal self, she thought. She'd feel terribly uneasy. And when she was uneasy, she never had fun. Part of why she liked spending time with Danny Jr. was because she felt ao at home with him. 

"Hi, Steph." 

She looked up. There was Danny Jr., smiling slightly, but not looking like his usual happy self. "Hey Danny," she said. 

Danny Jr. pulled out the chair opposite her and sat down. "I'm sorry I'm late. I was delayed by Uncle Rafe." He looked down, and Stephanie could see that something was definitely troubling him. 

"Is something wrong?" she asked gently. 

Danny Jr. hesitated. "I'm going on another bombing." 

"North Vietnam?" asked Stephanie. 

Danny Jr. nodded. 

"Is that all you're upset about?" She was puzzled. Danny Jr. usually had no qualms whatsoever about flying. 

"No," he replied. "I'm going to be leading the mission. Uncle Rafe's not going. That's what he had to talk to me about. They think he's too old to fly any more, at forty-eight." Danny Jr. was sitting with his hands clasped and laid on the table. He looked up and met her gaze, and all at once she could see how nervous he was about things. Her heart went out to her childhood playmate. 

She reached out and patted his hands reassuringly. "You'll be fine." 

He smiled. "I'll try." 

"You better!" said Stephanie, and they both laughed. "You come back, okay?" 

Danny Jr. grinned. "Yes'm, I will." 

*** 

Author's Note: Chapter Six was so terribly L-O-N-G I had to split it into 2 chapters. I hope nobody minds too much, since I've uploaded them at the same time, so there'll be no more waiting. Hope you liked this! ~HuntressMinerva 


	7. Finale

**Growing Up**

Chapter Seven - Finale 

_January 1966_

Danny Jr. hadn't been this nervous since his first bombing mission. He had received some training from Rafe, but still, there was always that little grain of doubt. _All their lives depend on my every command,_ he realised, glancing around at the chatting pilots working on their planes. As usual, Henry would be his co-pilot. The only thing he liked about this entire affair was that if he came out of it alive, his father was sure to be terribly proud of him. And so would Stephanie, and Rafe and his mother. All people he cared about the most. 

Taking a deep breath, Danny Jr. climbed into his plane. Henry came in a moment later. He showed none of Danny Jr.'s apprehension. In fact, he seemed happy. "Well, Danny, are you ready?" he asked jovially. "We'll all be lookin' up to you, so don't get us killed." He laughed, but Danny Jr. just got more nervous. He forced a smile, and looked out on the runway. He saw the familiar flag flash once. That was his cue. 

As pilot in charge, he got to go first. He didn't know if that was good or bad. He started up the plane, and ran down the runway in a procedure he knew like the back of his hand. _This is just the easy part,_ he reminded himself, then started to laugh a little. That was exactly what he'd said to himself on his first time. 

All the planes were in the air before long, and heading to North Vietnam in a now familiar route. Danny Jr. flicked on his microphone, and started speaking. "Okay, folks, we've done this many times, so don't panic just because Uncl — uh, McCawley ain't here, alright?" 

"Wouldn't dream of it, Danny," came Tyler's excited voice over the headphones. "There's a city to be bombed and we're gonna do it like we always have." 

There were cheers of agreement crackling in from the other pilots. The static was making Danny Jr. confused. He remembered how Rafe had always used to take roll call after takeoff. "Okay, I hear you!" he shouted. The noises died away. "Gotta make sure you all are here — count off. One." 

"Two!" he heard Tyler say cheerfully. 

"Three." 

The rest of the pilots counted off dutifully in order. Danny Jr. heaved a sigh of relief. "Alright, full speed ahead to North Vietnam then. You know the drill." 

He turned off the microphone. Henry, next to him, patted him on his shoulder. "You're doing great, Danny." 

He looked over and smiled. He didn't have to force it anymore. 

*** 

They were over North Vietnam. It was evening, just like their first ever raid. 

Danny Jr. spoke again. "Okay, pilots, you know how it goes. Bomb'em and head for South Vietnam. Ready?" 

"Ready!" came the other pilots in unison. 

Danny Jr. nodded at Henry, who had his finger on the button. "Bombs away!" 

"One away!" Henry shouted as he released their bomb. 

Danny Jr. looked out of the window with mixed feelings. The other bombs were dropping in order, just like it was planned. He felt glad that he'd carried out this operation without a hitch so far. But there was also sadness at seeing yet another senseless air raid on North Vietnam. He knew that if there was one most important thing he'd learnt from this war, it would have to be the importance of peace. 

The planes were heading neatly to South Vietnam, so far managing to dodge the fire directed at them. "So far so good," Danny Jr. told the others. "Count off. O —" 

He was interrupted by a huge blasting sound from behind. Henry's head snapped back. Danny Jr. forced himself to keep his eyes ahead of him. "What happened?" he asked wildly. 

"Someone's been hit! The plane's lurching crazily! It's crashing!" Henry cried. "It looks like — oh no — Danny, count off again! Now!" 

"One," said Danny Jr. obediently, then he waited. 

There was deathly silence. Danny Jr. felt a sinking feeling creep over his heart. 

"One," he said again, softly, refusing to believe. "Number Two? Are you there?" 

Silence again. Danny Jr. felt as white and pale as Henry looked. "Tyler," he whispered. 

He tried to collect himself. "Men, you go on to South Vietnam. I'll see to Tyler. Move! Now!" He turned to Henry. "Where did he go down?" 

Henry was looking down below him. "Y-You're almost there," he croaked out. "Oh God, Danny, if anything happens to him — " 

"Nothing will. I know nothing will," said Danny Jr. firmly. He spotted some wreckage below him. Without even asking Henry if that was it, he guided the plane down. 

*** 

Danny had been waiting again at the South Vietnam air base. He'd gotten used to waiting there every time Danny Jr. went on an air raid, but this time things were slightly different. His son was leading the raid. _I'm so proud of him,_ he thought again. 

But the minute the first plane came in, he knew something was wrong. The pilot who got out of the plane wasn't Danny Jr. And he was looking very worried. The following pilots weren't much more reassuring. After landing, they all ran straight for the headquarters. Danny spotted a few of them heading off in the direction of the hospital. Long years of experience told him immediately what that meant. _Somebody's crashed._ But it wasn't Danny Jr., or he would have felt it. Still, he had to go. He phased out, and reappeared where he had felt Danny Jr.'s presence. Then he froze, stunned. 

Before him was the wreck of a plane, and another plane was nearby. Danny Jr.'s friend Henry was carrying someone away from the wreckage. Danny Jr. himself was bent over a motionless body, looking stricken. He headed over there, and slipped into visibility. Henry was distracted at the moment. "Need help, Danny?" he asked gently. 

Danny Jr. looked up. "Daddy!" he cried. "It's Tyler. He's — he's losing blood." 

Danny looked down at Tyler. He was paler than normal, and as Danny Jr. said he was bleeding a lot. "We have to get him away," he said softly. He eased Tyler's body into Danny Jr.'s arms. As they lifted him, they found the source of the bleeding. Embedded at the side of his back was a sharp looking piece of shrapnel. Danny dove for it, and gently pulled it out. He nodded at Danny Jr. "He ought to be alright now. Go on." 

Danny Jr. hesitated. "Daddy, I — " 

Danny shook his head and smiled. "You're welcome. I don't think you could've removed that with your flesh hands. Now go! You don't want your friend to die, do you?" He paused. "Oh, and Danny?" 

"Yes?" said Danny Jr. He was already starting to turn back. 

"Stephanie's a fine girl." He winked. 

Danny Jr. finally smiled back. "Thanks," he said, before running towards Henry. 

Danny watched for a while, invisible again, as Danny Jr., now less panicky, helped load Tyler and his co-pilot into the hospital helicopter that had just arrived. He nodded to himself. His son had done him proud after all — not least by coming back for his friend. He had done no less for Rafe himself. "Well done, Danny," he congratulated silently. 

*** 

Stephanie paced up and down anxiously. She'd taken a day off work just to see if Danny Jr. was all right. She had been so sure he would, but now she was feeling doubtful. _What if something's happened to him?_ she asked herself nervously, then dashed the thought from her mind before she could think about it any more. _No. Danny's a wonderful pilot. He'll be fine._

She sat down, then got up again. Keeping still had never been her strong suit. _But even the most wonderful pilots can have accidents...look what happened to Danny's father._ If anything bad had happened to Danny Jr., she didn't know what she would do. Probably leave Hawaii, and let all the memories of their short but happy reunion bury themselves in the past...the movies, the dinners, the walks that they'd managed to squeeze in in between his training. 

Her pessimistic thoughts were brought to a halt by the sound of an approaching plane. Stephanie watched with bated breath as the plane loomed larger, drew closer, and finally ground to a halt. The door opened, and the stairs descended. A familiar figure emerged, to much cheering. Stephanie smiled, and tears of relief began to well in her eyes. It was Danny Jr. 

He saw her and waved, grinning. She ran towards him. "You're okay!" she laughed. "I've been worried sick!" 

He laughed too. "I'm fine," he said. "You needn't have worried." 

Stephanie looked at her feet, suddenly embarrassed. "I couldn't help it," she mumbled. "It is your first time as commander." 

Danny Jr. paused for a moment, then he did something he'd never done before. He hugged her lightly for a few seconds. Then he broke the embrace. "I gotta go see Uncle Rafe now," he said, and smiled. "See you around." 

"Bye!" Stephanie shouted after Danny Jr.'s retreating figure. Then she smiled too. 

*** 

_July 21, 1969_

It was midnight, which meant that Danny Jr.'s twenty-seventh birthday would be over in a second. 

He was, for once, not at the beach. He had chosen today to retreat to the airplane hangar. It was nearly as therapeutic as the beach, and nearer too to his dormitory. 

Danny Jr. was doing something he did every birthday whether or not he liked it — he was missing his father. Today, though, the urge was especially strong to speak to him again. A month or so ago a new development in the war had occurred — one that Danny Jr. felt much better about. He climbed onto the wing of a plane and sat down. "Daddy, I need you," he said softly. 

He didn't have long to wait. In a matter of seconds, Danny materialised next to him. "Happy birthday, Danny," he said. 

Danny Jr. smiled. "Thank you." 

There was silence for a while. Danny looked around him. "This feels just like the good old days," he said. "When you were younger, and we sat like this on Rafe's plane and talked." 

Danny Jr. nodded. "That's why I chose this spot. Have you heard the news, Daddy?" 

"About Vietnamization?" Danny asked. 

"Yeah...Vietnamization. They're withdrawing troops." His smile grew wider. "The war is ending." 

"You didn't call me here just to tell me that." It was a statement, not a question. 

Danny Jr. shook his head. "No. I didn't. I guess I just wanted to...talk. But I'm glad the war is ending...even though you were right, I did learn things from being in it I'd never have learnt from quitting. I think I grew stronger out of everything...especially Tyler's crash." 

"He's healed well, hasn't he?" 

Danny Jr. nodded. "Flying just like he did before. You'd never know the difference, except that now he's that much more careful." 

"How've you been? I mean, besides the war?" 

Danny Jr. smiled sheepishly. "You were right about Stephanie." 

Danny nodded. "Thought so." 

"Life's been great. But things just aren't the same since Uncle Rafe retired." 

"He _is_ fifty-two, you know," Danny reminded. 

"I know, and I know he deserves a break now, but that doesn't make it easier for us to take. The new guy, Connell, is okay though." Danny Jr. paused for thought. "I think I made the right decision all those years back, to stay on. It's been more than worth it." 

"Flying always was your thing," Danny agreed. "I'm proud of you, Captain Walker." 

Danny Jr. leaned over and hugged his father. "I'm proud of you too, Daddy." 

Danny held the embrace for a few more seconds. "I'll be here for you, Danny. Remember that. I gotta go." Then he faded out. 

Danny Jr. smiled after him, and hopped off the wing of the plane and headed home. It would be a new day tomorrow. 

*** 

Author's Note: It's finished now! Finally! That was long. I'm sorry I've been late in updating. School just started again here where I live, and this is my O-Level year. For those who don't know, O-Levels are basically very major exams. You can imagine how much pressure and work I'm being bombarded with. Anyway, I hoped you liked this. Remember to review! They're the reason I write! ~HuntressMinerva 


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